1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fence post construction, and more particularly to a T-post fencing unit. Another aspect of the present invention is a lateral bracing arrangement or assemblage that may be used for a corner fence assembly utilizing at least one T-post fencing unit described herein. The present invention further relates to a method for forming a braced fencing arrangement.
2. Background of the Invention
Fence posts are widely used in the construction of fences for a variety of purposes, such as, animal management, boundary demarcation and the like. Currently, metal fence posts having a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d cross-section configuration, hereinafter xe2x80x9cT-postsxe2x80x9d, are widely used for both temporary and permanent fencing units. Conventionally, T-posts have a flat vertical face with a series of spaced apart lugs or projections that are substantially perpendicular to the face and aligned along the longitudinal axis of the T-post. These lugs provide a means to facilitate attachment of wire, such as barbed, chicken or electric, in constructing the fence.
Although these T-posts are relatively low in cost and are easily installed using a sledge hammer or other manual driving device, T-posts are not without their problems. One problem is that T-posts have little lateral strength and can be readily displaced from their vertical position when a lateral force is applied, such as, when constructing a corner assembly using such T-posts. The end and corner units of such fences may be subjected to static forces of upwards from 3000 to 5000 pounds. This force is attributed to the tension in the wire and the change in direction of the fence at a corner. This force must be counteracted if the fence is to remain standing and/or the wire to remain taut.
To overcome this problem, corner T-post(s) must be reinforced with additional bracing. In the past, wooden posts have been used. However, a problem with using two types of materials is that often a metal T-post will last as long as 40 years, whereas a wooden post may have a life of only 10 years. Additionally, today""s wooden posts are typically treated with a chemical preservative to add to the useful life of the post. The hazards of such wood preservatives is currently a topic of debate and may not be safe for human contact or the environment. Moreover, it is fairly widely accepted that it is more economical to install fencing components which have an approximate equal and long useful life. This reduces maintenance and labor costs associated with the fence during its useful life.
In the past, the shape of the T-post did not facilitate the simple attachment of brace members. Generally, bracing was accomplishes by a rather complex assembly of additional parts, which may have required the drilling holes in the T-post, digging holes for bracing units, and/or the pouring of concrete. All of which detract from the ease of T-post installation.
Various devices have been developed for attaching brace members and the like to fence posts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,879 issued to Wasicek et al. on Aug. 16, 1988 discloses a connector assembly having a collar with three openings circumferentially and equidistantly positioned around the collar. The connector further includes a wedge member for tightening the collar. The wedge member is an L-shape configuration and includes a notch. In use, the collar is positioned over the T-post and the wedge member is positioned so that the notch receives the central web portion of the post. The connector assembly also includes a deformable wire member to secure the wedge member to the collar when it is finally positioned and to prevent the parts separation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,787 issued to Watson on Jan. 16, 1990 discloses a corner post assembly having a steel main post. A laterally extending steel brace member having a body portion that can be positioned at ground level is welded to the steel main post. A bracing strut is welded between the main post and the brace member. The corner post assembly also includes a downturned leg portion. In use, the lower portions of the main post and the leg portion of the brace member are placed in parallel post holes so that the brace member absorbs the static load on the main post arising from the tension in the fencing wires. The corner post assembly further includes a plurality of stabilization plates welded to the main post and to the brace member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,109 issued to Miller on Oct. 29, 1991 discloses bracing members and a method for using the bracing members for a metal T-posts. The bracing members have two substantially identical elongated first members each having U-shaped or hooked oppositely disposed ends. Each hooked end of the first bracing member is apertured to receive a single bolt. The first bracing members are structured for spanning horizontally between and attaching with the hooked portions placed around two T-posts. In use, one first bracing member is placed adjacent to the ground, and one first bracing unit is placed adjacent to the upper ends of the T-posts. Also included in the assembly is an elongated straight bracing member having bolt receiving holes at the two oppositely disposed terminal ends. The straight bracing member is used for a diagonal brace between the two vertical T-posts, extending at an angle from an attachment point to a hook of the upper bracing member adjacent one T-post downward at an angle to an attachment point to the hook of the lower bracing member adjacent the other T-post. Nuts and bolts are used to attach the bracing members on T-posts installed in the ground. The bracing members having the hooked ends have been structured in a manner which allows the brace to be used as a measuring gage for quickly determining the proper distance two T-posts should be set apart prior to bracing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,780 issued to Yearwood on Aug. 27, 1991 discloses a T-post brace having a transverse bar adjacent one end portion. The other end of the brace is pivotally connected with an open bracket which frictionally grips opposing sides of a T-post when the brace is engaged with the T-post and driven into the soil during the last earth penetrating movement of the T-post.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,181 issued to Asher et al. on Sep. 14, 1982 discloses an end or corner fence post construction having a main upright post supported by a main brace. The main post has an anchoring plate attached near its lower end i.e., below ground level. The main brace unit also has a bearing plate which is buried below ground level. A cross brace is attached at one end to the main post and the other end attached to the main brace.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,322 issued to Wagner on Dec. 26, 1989 discloses an apparatus for bracing T-posts. The apparatus includes a collar having one or more enclosed slots is secured between the lugs of the T-post by a wedge. The slots in the collare are used to receive attachment members, such as sockets for the cross-brace member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,724 issued to Williams on Dec. 25, 1990 discloses a T-posts bracing system having a hollow collar member adapted to slideably fit over a fence post and leave a space between the collar member interior and the fence post. The bracing system also includes a double action expansion wedge for attaching a collar to a T-post fence. The double action expansion cam wedge secures the collar between adjacent lugs on the post by tightly wedging the collar and post together. The double action expansion causes the top edge of the collar and the bottom edge of the collar both to be wedged against the post to hold the collar in alignment with the post.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,235 issued to Kilmer on Aug. 18, 1992 discloses a fence post unit having an augered base, a removable extension piece and a bracket. The bracket may be used alternately to support a handle piece which is rotated in order to auger the post into the ground and to couple a support brace. Several units may be coupled to form a corner fence post. The base unit is equipped with a stabilizer device for lateral support.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,055 issued to Griggs et al. on Mar. 9, 1993 discloses a brace assembly for corner posts. The assembly has upper and lower bracket assemblies for a clamped engagement with a fence post. Each bracket assembly has angular bracket members which may include diagonal flanges which serve to receive the ends of adjustable braces. Lower bracket assemblies serve to attach ground engaging members to the post. The braces are axially adjustable for attachment to the ground engaging members which may be inclined for contact with sloped terrain. A modified form of a bracket assembly includes a clamping plate with a boss through which extends a gate pintle arm to permit a fence post to serve as a gate post. Another embodiment of the assembly includes a steel fence post to serve as a fence corner post with braces extending downwardly and rearwardly from the corner post. Additional bracing may extend horizontally from the corner post to adjacent fence posts. Another modified form of the brace assembly includes a bracket assembly utilizing four angular members to permit attachment to the post of several braces each with a corresponding ground engaging member.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,356,101 and 5,460,344 disclose a fence support having a generally vertically oriented main support post in the form of a T shaped iron bar and a single brace. The brace includes a top end having an elongated bearing element and a bottom end having a stake holder. The stake holder includes a tubular member vertically oriented for engaging a stake driven into the ground for additional support. The elongated bearing element is mounted by a hinge to the top end of the brace. The fence support further includes a collar member adapted to fit over the top of the main support post and bearing element to hold them together.
U.K. Pat. No. 1,557,781 discloses a post supporting assembly having a strut connected at the upper end of an embedded post. Supported at the other end of the strut is an anchoring means. A tie means is connected to one end of the anchoring means and at the other end to the post below the connection between the post and the strut means. The support assembly also includes a ground anchor connected to the post below the connection between the post and the tie means.
Generally from the above brief description of the prior art, it is clear that there is still a need for a fencing member, and preferably a fencing member having a cross-section substantially similar to a conventional T-post, that is easily installed and that can further be utilized as a lateral bracing member for a corner assembly without additional brackets, collars, and specialized bracing members.
Briefly, the present invention is a fencing unit having a front face or cross-bar member with a front surface and a back surface, a leg member affixed to the back surface and substantially perpendicular to the front face member so that the juncture of the front face member and the leg member substantially forms a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped cross-section, and an engaging means for engaging a T-post. In a preferred embodiment the fencing unit includes a plurality of spaced apart lug members, projections or protuberances extending from the front surface.
Another aspect of the present invention is a braced fencing assembly or arrangement having a first substantially vertical T-post with a second front face surface, and a plurality of spaced apart second lug members extending from the second front surface; and a second substantially vertical T-post with a third front face surface and a plurality of spaced apart third lug members extending from the third front surface. The fencing assembly utilizes the fencing unit described above with an engaging means positioned proximate to, and preferably at, each end to act as a lateral bracing member. To form the braced fence assemblage, the engaging means on a first end of the bracing member is engaged with the first vertical T-post between a pair of spaced apart second lug members and the engaging means on the opposing end of the bracing member is engaged with the second substantially vertical T-post between a pair of spaced apart third lug members.
Another aspect of the present invention is for a method of forming a braced fence arrangement or assemblage that includes the steps of providing a fencing unit as described above and having an engaging means at each employed as a bracing member; setting into the ground a first substantially vertical T-post having a second front face surface and a plurality of spaced apart second lug members extending from the second front surface; and setting into the ground a second substantially vertical T-post having a third front face surface and a plurality of spaced apart third lug members extending from the third front surface. The second T-post is spaced from the first T-post a predetermined distance that is less than the length of the bracing member, thereby allowing engagement of the bracing member with the first and second substantially vertical T-posts. The method further includes inserting the engaging means at one end of the bracing member between a pair of spaced apart second lug members on the first vertical T-post and inserting the engaging means at the other end of the bracing member between a pair of spaced apart third lug members on the second vertical T-post.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fencing unit having a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d shaped cross-section having an engaging means and which may be used as a bracing member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a laterally braced fence assemblage that combines rigid support, economy of manufacture and ease of field fabrication.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a corner post brace assemblage that enables the construction of a fence corner that is essentially maintenance free for extended periods of time and is readily erected with a minimum of tools.